UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL

SCHOOL OF NURSING

Diversity Plan

October 2003

Vision Statement

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing is actively evolving as a community that values and promotes diversity among students, staff and faculty. We continue to work together within the larger social environment to accomplish our educational, research, service and practice missions. Racism and other forms of discrimination are complex societal realities that must be acknowledged and addressed as we work to fulfill our missions. As a historically white institution, the School recognizes its past failures to provide equal access to all and is committed to making changes that will promote respects for diversity in the many dimensions that can be used to describe people, including age, race, gender, disability, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, economic status, geographical background, and culture. The School is committed to developing an environment characterized by equity and mutual respect for all people that moves beyond co-existence to full participation, not on majority terms, but in an evolving system that reflects the contributions of all. Through the creation of a learning environment that values and promotes diversity, the School works to fulfill the Discipline of Nursing?s obligation to serve society?s needs, which includes preparing nurses who value diversity and who are both clinically and culturally competent. Members of the current community are committed to the School?s aspiration to be a leader in creating a diverse and multicultural community that will serve as a model for other schools of nursing and society at large.

Conceptual Framework

Definitions for key concepts and terms are provided in the Appendix to promote a common language and understanding. A conceptual framework (Figure 1) has been developed to depict the principles, values and relationships envisioned in the School of Nursing Diversity Plan. An explanation of the key concepts in the framework follows.

The School seeks to achieve a Culture of Diversity that reflects diverse voices and diverse presence and values and appreciates such diversity. We consider the School to be part of an ecological system that helps to shape this culture. Individual students, staff and faculty make up the subsystems of the School, it is embedded in the larger environment of the University, and the University is part of a larger set of communities?local, state, national and international. Finally, the School and the University operate in a larger socio-political environment that provides social, political, and ethical values and guidelines as well as policies and laws that influence the people and the operations of the institution.

Our culture of diversity is influenced primarily by the people involved. The beliefs of these individuals about self, others, relationships, and moral and religious values will be reflected in their work here. The life experiences of the people of the School of Nursing will influence the culture as will the Sschool?s cultural history. Critical self-awareness is part of who we are and an important factor in the development of a culture of diversity. It is our ability as individuals and a community to examine our own values, motivations, beliefs and expectations, to reflect on them, and to understand how they may affect what we do and say. What we do?our words and behaviors¾affect other individuals in the community and the community as a whole. Our competence in and knowledge of diversity issues and effective approaches to creating a culture appreciative of and reflective of diversity will affect our ability to attain such a culture. The resources we provide, both instrumental and social supports, will not only reflect our value of diversity but will also enable its achievement and development. Similarly, our policies will reflect our value of diversity and can enable its achievement and development. As we develop a strong culture of diversity in the School of Nursing, it will be important that we reflect and honor it in our public face and communications as well as our celebrations and traditions.

Assumptions AND Goals

The Diversity Plan is designed around the following underlying assumptions:

· Racism and other forms of discrimination continue to exist. It is human nature to be ethnocentric.

· Inclusiveness is essential. Individuals can learn to appreciate and value differences. However, personal commitment and resources are necessary to create and sustain an environment that fosters a culture of diversity.

· Developing the cultural competence of individuals is essential to evolving the kind of community described in our vision statement and to improving quality of care, thereby reducing health disparities for all.

· Cultural sensitivity and knowledge are necessary but not sufficient for individuals to behave in a culturally competent way. What gets rewarded gets done.

· Intellectual ability is not a function of race, ethnicity, or class. Academic achievement is influenced by access to resources and opportunities and these disparities are related to race, ethnicity, and class.

· Focusing on numbers only without making required system changes continues to distort the real issues of equity and encourages the pursuit of tokenism.

Based on those assumptions, the diversity plan is designed to accomplish three major goals:

1. The School of Nursing of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will become a community that values and promotes diversity among students, staff and faculty as they work together within the larger social environment to accomplish the School?s educational, research, service and practice missions.

2. The members of our community will value, respect and understand diversity and will be competent to function effectively in a diverse environment with diverse peoples.

3. The School of Nursing will make critical systems changes to create an infrastructure that supports individual success in a diverse learning community.

STRATEGIC COMPONENTS

The Diversity Plan has been developed to be achieved during a three-year time frame. It has been designed to accomplish major gains with attainable goals in target areas. It identifies several opportunities for success in these target areas that will establish a solid foundation upon which the School will continue to develop as the diverse community embodied in the conceptual framework.

The Plan builds on the work that has already been accomplished in the School. It does not replace goals and strategies outlined in the School of Nursing Strategic Plan and other documents which address areas such as faculty and staff recruitment. The Plan identifies three target areas for concentrated effort to be worked on concurrently over the next three years:

· Culture and Community in the School of Nursing

· Admissions in each Educational Program

· Curriculum in each Educational Program

Culture and Community in the School of Nursing

The climate in which we conduct our business is the most fundamental component of effectively carrying out our mission and we are committed to creating a climate in which all participants, at all levels, are treated with equal respect and deference. All voices carry equal value and receive equal regard. The hierarchical structures that inevitably characterize an institution, do not entitle any participant to stray from the principles here described. Diversity of thought, lifestyle, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and racial origins will serve as sources of enrichment to the culture, and divisiveness will be discouraged. We are judged, from within and from outside, by the quality of our relationships, the integrity from which we govern our behaviors, and the respect we provide to all equally. Ongoing attention to our organizational culture is essential to creating an environment in which all are recognized, valued and heard.

To achieve the aims described above, the following strategies will be used:

Strategies

• All faculty and staff evaluations will include a performance objective that speaks to making a contribution to the School?s climate of interpersonal, cross-cultural understanding. It is an expectation that all faculty and staff will strive toward cultural competence. The Division Heads and the Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs will be available to work with faculty and staff in accomplishing this goal.
• The School will initiate an annual award for staff and faculty to recognize an individual who has made significant contributions to enhance interpersonal, cross-cultural understanding.
• The School will initiate an annual award for students to recognize an individual who has made significant contributions to enhance interpersonal, cross-cultural understanding. (The student award might include lifetime membership in the UNC Alumni Association).
• The School will continue to nurture and develop relationships with international partners.
• Each employee will be required to complete an on-line continuing education module addressing cultural competence (much the same as one would complete the OSHA and HIPPA requirements). This module will focus on ethnocentrism, respectful interpersonal communication, and expectations of behavior, in addition to other important topics.
• The School will reflect diversity in a variety of ways in the physical environment throughout Carrington Hall.
• The designated SON committee that reviews faculty evaluation tools students complete at the end of each semester will addwe request that they add an item that reflects faculty commitment to, enthusiasm for, and content about, cultural diversity in every course.

Admissions

The admissions process is a critical element that affects the composition of the School of Nursing community. Admissions serve as a gateway into our undergraduate, master?s and doctoral programs. The purpose of this section of the Diversity Plan is to ensure that the criteria for admission and the process by which students are reviewed and evaluated for admission are fair, equitable, and demonstrate an understanding of the unique qualities and accomplishments of individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Goals for Admissions and Retention

Admissions:

1. Identify essential criteria for admission

2. Thoroughly and objectively assess each applicant?s strengths and weaknesses using all criteria for admission

3. Develop, implement and annually evaluate an applicant-relations counseling system. This system will offer individual applicants who do not initially meet standardized criteria for admission assistance in planning strategies that will help them strengthen modifiable aspects of their application (e.g., written statement, sample of work, GRE scores, references, evidence of ability to do the level of work required, etc.).

4. Develop, implement and annually evaluate the admissions committees? process, focusing on diversity outcomes.

Retention:

1. Develop, implement and annually evaluate a system to assist students, once admitted, to find and use resources needed to help them succeed.

2. Develop, implement and annually evaluate a mentoring/advisement system that ensures every student?s progress will be tracked, their problems will be identified early, and plans developed with them will address those problems.

To achieve the aims described above, the following strategies will be used:

Strategies

• Review literature for data on specific student skills and capabilities needed for success in baccalaureate, master?s and doctoral programs, in basic and advanced nursing practice, and in research and faculty positions.
• Review of current admission criteria by program executive committees to determine how current admission criteria fit the data from the literature.
• Facilitate faculty discussions to explore the critical applicant qualities necessary to be successful in individual programs; match admission criteria to those qualities.
• Revise current criteria for admission to all programs to ensure that criteria in use are predictive of success
• Incorporate a member of the Diversity Steering Committee into each admission committee for ongoing evaluation of and feedback on the admissions process.
• Annually evaluate the criteria for admission, admission processes, and diversity outcomes and provide these data to program executive and admissions committees and to the faculty.
• Periodic and regular review of student outcomes based on characteristics and qualifications on admission and provision of these data to program executive and admissions committees and to the faculty.
• Develop, implement and annually evaluate a system to counsel applicants who show promise but do not initially meet criteria for admission with assistance in developing a plan to help them strengthen those aspects of their application that need strengthening.
• Develop, implement and annually evaluate a system for ongoing assessment of matriculated student progress and of specific areas for needed assistance (such as social support, writing skills, mentorship).

Curriculum

The nursing curricula represent the philosophy of the School of Nursing. Each curriculum is a map or blueprint to guide the quest for community amid diversity. As such, it is the mechanism by which students are socialized. The School of Nursing has a commitment to the development and continuance of curricula that are cognizant of diverse populations. We encourage exploration and implementation of efforts to increase students? contact with diverse populations through their clinical placements. Ensuring that students are exposed to content, learning environments and activities that foster an appreciation of diversity will assist them in becoming practitioners of holistic nursing care with respect for people of diverse backgrounds. Ongoing attention to diversity in the curricula is key in the promulgation of a climate where differences are appreciated, recognized and respected. We proposeto to address three components central to enhancing diversity in the curricula ? developing clinical placements, auditing all curricula and creating resources.

To achieve the aims described above, the following strategies will be used:

Strategies

Clinical Placements:

• To the greatest extent possible in all clinical placements at the undergraduate and master?s level, efforts should be made to ensure that students have contact with patients from different cultural, ethnic/racial, and/or socioeconomic background different from the students?.

Curricula Audit:

• The curricula of the various programs in the School of Nursing will be monitored for the degree to which cultural diversity is addressed. Periodic review of the curricula will assure that the diversity issues remain relevant and that the curricula are in keeping with the beliefs put forth in the Diversity Plan, as well as with the philosophy of the School of Nursing. The BEC, MEC and DEC will conduct the initial audit. Following the initial audit, it is recommended that an audit be conducted every 5 years or at any other time when a program review is being undertaken. Any new course or newly assigned course should be reviewed using the same questions. The broad categories to be examined are course content, course materials and teaching.

Resources:

• The Diversity Plan Task Force advocates the creation of a compendium of resources on issues related to diversity and culture for inclusion in the curricula. The purposes of these resources are to increase diversity and cultural awareness, sensitivity, and competency by increasing knowledge, acceptance and appreciation of differences in students, faculty, staff, and the clients that we serve.
• The Office of Academic Affairs, the Center for Innovations in Health Disparities Research (CIHDAR) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) work together to identify, acquire, and assemble resources and to establish a plan for maintaining them.

These resources should include but are not limited to consultative services within the School of Nursing (e.g., OMA, CIHDAR) and the University (e.g., Center for Teaching and Learning), faculty resources (e.g., inclusive classroom), health information for groups at risk for disparate health status and resources on the delivery of culturally competent care. Resources will be in the form of books, articles and other print media, case studies, videos, web sites, web based tutorial modules, and individual and group consultations.

Accountability and Evaluation

The Diversity Plan covers a three year period. It is intended that progress toward the goals and activities outlined in the Plan be monitored regularly. Commitment and effort will be required of all members in the School of Nursing community to ensure that the outlined activities will be accomplished. Monitoring and assessment of progress during the next three years will be essential so that future diversity initiatives can build on the foundation created by the goals and strategies in this plan.

Faculty, staff, and students ultimately hold accountability for implementing the Plan and ensuring its success. The Dean, on behalf of the School of Nursing community, will monitor progress on an annual basis. Progress toward Plan goals and activities will be reported annually to the Dean by the following groups or individuals:

• Faculty and staff responsibilities, annual awards, and performance evaluation: Division Heads
• Curriculum assessment and revision of course evaluations: Program and Faculty Executive Committees via the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
• Cultural Competence Module: Assistant Dean for Faculty and Student Services and Director of Office of Multicultural Affairs
• Clinical placements of students: Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
• Admission and Retention Strategies: Program Admissions Committees and Office of Admissions and Student Services via the Assistant Dean for Faculty and Student Services

The Dean will report on progress toward all components of this Plan in the annual State of the School address.

References

Broman, C. L. (1996). The health consequences of racial discrimination: A study of African

Americans. Ethnicity & Disease, 6, 148-153

Jones, C. P. (2000). Levels of racism: A theoretic framework and a gardener?s tale. American

Journal of Public Health, 90 (8), 1212-1215.

Kaiser Permanente. (2000). A Provider's Handbook on Culturally Competent Care: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Population. Oakland, California.

Krieger, N. (1999). Embodying inequality: a review of concepts, measures, and methods for studying health consequences of discrimination. International Journal of Health Services, 29(2), 295-352.

Nelson, A. (2002). Unequal treatment: confronting racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Journal of the National Medical Association, 94(8), 666-668.

Richardson, R.C., Simmons, H., Y de los Santos, A. (1987). Graduating Minority Students. Change, 19(3), 20-27.

Spratlen, L. P. (1998) Understanding racism and race relations: Challenges to professional nursing. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing. 36(2) 6-8.

Stage, F.K., & Manning, K. (1992). Enhancing the multicultural campus environment: A cultural brokering approach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Trickett, E.J., Watts, R. J. & Birman, D. eds. (1994) Human Diversity Perspective on People in Context. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Williams, D. R. (1997). Race and health: basic questions, emerging directions. Annals of Epidemiology, 7(5), 322-333.

Williams, D. R., & Rucker, T. D. (2000). Understanding and addressing racial disparities in health care. Health Care Financing Review, 21(4), 75-90.

Appendix

Definitions

Classism: the ideological belief that people deserve the privilege or oppression of their class, a social stratum whose members share certain economic, social, or cultural characteristics. This belief is used to exercise privilege or oppression.

Culture: the thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups. Culture defines how information is received, how rights and protections are exercised and what is considered to be a problem. It also defines how symptoms of that problem are expressed, who should do something about the problem and what should be done.

Cultural Competence: the capacity to function effectively as an individual or an organization within the context of diverse beliefs, behaviors and needs presented by people and their communities.

Discrimination: socially structured and sanctioned actions, justified by ideology and expressed in interactions, among and between individuals and institutions, intended to maintain privileges for members of dominant groups at the cost of deprivation of others. These actions may be intentional or unintentional and may manifest their harmful impact as lack of respect, avoidance, devaluation, scapegoating or dehumanization.

Diversity: the variety of physical or social characteristics that can be used to describe people, including age, race, gender, disability, ethnicity, nationality, religious belief, sexual orientation, political beliefs, economic status, geographical background and culture.

Disparities: inequality with particular concern for differences in access to resources (such as education, job opportunities, or health care), that are not related to personal choice.

Ethnocentrism: the tendency to assume that one?s culture and way of life are superior to that of others.

Heterosexism: a belief that normal development is heterosexual and that deviations from this identity are unnatural, disordered, or dysfunctional. This belief resides in individuals and is exhibited in the policies, procedures, operations, laws, and culture of public and private institutions. This belief is used to negatively value and discriminate against individuals and groups who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or perceived to be so.

Institutionalized racism: differential access to the goods, services and opportunities of society by race. It resides in the policies, procedures, operations and culture of public and private institutions. Institutionalized racism reinforces individual prejudices and individual prejudices reinforce institutional racism.

Integrated pluralism: an environment that is characterized by equity and mutual respect among diverse racial and cultural groups.

Race: a sociocultural concept wherein groups of people share certain physical characteristics.

Racism: a belief that considers groups? unchangeable physical characteristics to be linked in a direct way to psychological or intellectual characteristics. This belief is used to distinguish between superior and inferior racial groups, resulting in a differential and negative impact on members of the ?inferior? group.

Stereotyping: a rigid, oversimplified, often exaggerated belief applied to an entire category of people and to each individual in it.

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